Chapter 1

Violet

The sun is barely up, casting a golden hue over the sprawling acres of Sagebrush Ranch, and already my boots are coated in dust. I take a deep breath, letting the familiar scent of fresh hay and morning dew calm my nerves. This land has been my whole life, my sanctuary, and now it feels like it’s slipping through my fingers like dry sand.

"Violet! There you are."

I turn to see Joey, our long-time ranch hand, jogging toward me with an envelope clutched in his weathered hand. His gray mustache twitches with concern, and my stomach does a little flip. Mail this early is never good news.

"Morning, Joey. What's that you've got there?" I ask, wiping my hands on my jeans.

He hands me the envelope, his eyes scanning my face for a reaction. "Came by special delivery. Thought you'd want to see it right away."

I glance at the return address and feel my heart sink. It's from Dad's lawyer. Again. I thought we'd settled all this weeks ago. With a shaky breath, I tear it open and start reading. As my eyes dart across the page, my blood pressure rises with each word.

"You've got to be kidding me," I mutter, crumpling the letter in frustration.

Joey raises an eyebrow. "Bad news?"

"Ridiculous news is more like it." I exhale sharply, trying to keep my cool. "Apparently, there's a clause in Dad's will that states I have to be married by my 30th birthday to inherit the ranch."

Joey's eyes widen. "But that's only... what? Three months away?"

"Two and a half," I correct, pinching the bridge of my nose. Trust Dad to throw a curveball from beyond the grave. "Why would he do this? He knew how much this place means to me."

Joey scratches his head, his hat shifting slightly. "Maybe he wanted to make sure you settled down, had someone to share the load with."

I let out a humorless laugh. "I don't need a man to run this ranch. I've been doing just fine on my own."

"That you have," he agrees, nodding. "But the law is the law, I suppose. What are you gonna do?"

I look out over the pastures where the horses graze peacefully, oblivious to the turmoil brewing inside me. Selling the ranch isn't an option. This land has been in our family for generations. It's where I learned to ride, where Mom taught me to plant sunflowers, where every memory of Dad still lingers in the creaking barn doors and weathered fence posts.

"I'm going to find a way to keep what's mine," I declare, determination hardening my voice.

Joey smiles, the kind that reaches his eyes and warms the chill settling in my bones. "That's the Violet I know. Let me know if there's anything I can do to help."

"Thanks, Joey. For now, let's keep this between us, okay? I don't need the whole town gossiping about my sudden need for a husband."

He chuckles, tipping his hat. "My lips are sealed."

As Joey heads back toward the stables, I pull out my phone and scroll through my contacts. It's a short list, mostly ranch suppliers and a few old friends who are more acquainted with saddles than matchmaking. Dating hasn't exactly been a priority between early-morning feedings and late-night barn repairs.

I flop down onto a nearby hay bale, resisting the urge to scream into the open sky. Where does one even find a husband on such short notice? Do I put an ad in the paper? 'Wanted: Husband to save family ranch. Must like horses and early mornings. Sense of humor optional but preferred.'

I shake my head at the absurdity of it all. Maybe there's a dating app for desperate ranch owners in need of a quick marriage. Swipe right for salvation.

Just then, my phone buzzes with a text from my best friend, Millie.

"Brunch tomorrow? I have news!"

I type back quickly.

"Only if there's mimosas."

She replies with a string of champagne bottle emojis, and I can't help but smile. Maybe Millie will have some ideas. She's always been the creative one between us.

Standing up, I dust off my jeans and square my shoulders. Okay, Dad, if this is your way of pushing me out of my comfort zone, challenge accepted. I've wrangled wild stallions and survived gnarly thunderstorms. How hard can finding a husband be?

As I walk back toward the house, the morning sun climbs higher, bathing the ranch in a warm, hopeful glow. Despite the unexpected hurdle, a spark of excitement flickers inside me. This could be the start of a whole new adventure.

And if there's one thing I know how to do, it's embrace the wild ride.

I sip my mimosa, well more like guzzle it, as I sit with Millie in her bookstore. I’ve come to understand that Millie’s love of her bookstore is like my love for my ranch. We both find solace in our places and it’s a beautiful thing.

As we sit in the back where we usually have book club, she is excitedly talking about her boyfriend, Tripp’s, new book. I’m excited for both of them, but my mind is so preoccupied with thoughts of how to find a husband.

When Millie and Tripp got together, I saw the love she felt for him in her eyes. I see the way they are with each other and it’s special. It’s so clear the love they feel for each other and up until this moment I was never jealous of that.

Now, I wish I had put myself out there more. If I was dating someone it would be a little easier, maybe, but I have zero prospects and that stressful thought has had me up since I received the letter from my dad’s lawyer.

“Violet, have you heard anything I said?” Millie asks, raising an eyebrow as she stares at me.

I sigh, putting down the muffin that is nearly crushed in my hand. “I’m sorry, Millie. My mind is so preoccupied.”

She moves closer and rests her hand on my leg. A look of concern etches her face as she searches mine. “What’s going on?”

I want her advice, but I’m nervous about telling her. Partly because I’m still trying to wrap my head around it and partly because I don’t really want anyone judging my father. I can be pissed at him, but the thought of someone else having negative thoughts about him hurts. He was a good man, no, a great man. I was only ten when my mother died and my dad raised me from that point on. He did his best, teaching me everything I needed to know about the ranch, but not about life off the ranch. There was no time for a social life with the amount of work that comes with my lifestyle and I learned that from watching him. He taught me how to handle horses, plow the fields, work on farm equipment, and do repairs around the ranch. All my good memories have my dad in them and I don’t want anyone to like less of him for his wishes.

However, as I look at Millie, I know I need to talk to someone besides Joey. I need a girl’s point of view. A long sigh escapes me as I shake my head. “I got a letter from my dad’s lawyer yesterday and basically, if I don’t get married by my thirtieth birthday, I’ll lose the ranch.”

Her eyes widen, shock clear on her face as she pulls her hand off my leg and covers her mouth. “Oh my God, Violet. What are you going to do? Don’t you turn thirty soon?”

“Two and a half months.”

Her other hand rises, both now cover her mouth as she stares at me. “Violet, I don’t know what to say.”

“How about you tell me how to quickly find a husband,” I say, wringing my hands together.

She drops her hands, grabs the champagne, and pours it into our empty glasses. “No orange juice needed this time.” I graciously take a long sip as she begins nodding her head. “Okay, we’re going to figure this out.”

“How?” I hate sounding so needy, but I’m desperate.

“Do you have any guys that you are good friends with? Maybe someone that helps on the ranch?”

I can’t help the very small laugh that slips out of me. “That would be an absolutely not. I love the guys that work for me, but they are more my dad's age and either married or divorced and honestly none of them are attractive to me. Plus, I’d never get them mixed up in this.”

She’s nodding, taking in every word I have to say. “Good point. All right, well what about an ex-boyfriend?”

“He’d be an ex for a reason.” I appreciate her trying, but it feels hopeless. Who can find a husband in two and a half months?

“I can talk to Tripp and see if any of his friends are single,” she suggests.

“Even if they are, no one is going to want to get married so quickly. It’s like a dead-end road. I don’t know what to do,” I say, feeling tears sting my eyes. They won’t fall though, they never do. I was raised to be tough and my emotions and feelings needed to be had in private or not at all. I haven’t cried since my mother died and I don’t intend on this breaking me to that point. I’ve broken wild horses, I can handle a hell of a lot.

“It’s never a dead-end road, Violet. There’s always a way. We’ll figure this out, I promise I’ll help.”

Millie is such a good friend. My only friend really. I don’t know what I would do without her. As much as I want to believe that she’ll be the one to help me figure out this mess, it’s futile thinking.

I don’t know what I’m going to do, but I’ll figure something out. Losing my ranch is not an option.